The Eagles Farewell 1 Tour: Live From Melbourne (2006)

By: Poster collect

Intoduction:

Well folks, to choose the best concert DVD release for 2006 was a no- brainer for me, and bonus, it's a double DVD set! The Eagles Farewell I Tour: Live From Melbourne is a superb high quality release from the Eagles. My only regret is that I paid the bargain price of $29.99 on the release date, here in Canada. Since then, I've seen it priced around the $12.00 mark at Wal Mart! But that's okay, now anyone can plan to add this essential concert DVD to their collection. For those of you who already own the high quality Hell Freezes Over release, my honest opinion (and all others I've compared notes with), is the Live From Melbourne release is superior in every respect except perhaps overall video quality, which I'll explain later in the review. The two and one half to three hour long show was recorded live in Melbourne, Australia for two nights and the DVD features an outstanding selection of Eagles and solo member hits.

Track Listing:

Disc 1:

Long Run, New Kid in Town, Wasted Time, Peaceful Easy Feeling, I Can't Tell You Why, One of These Nights, One Day At A Time (New Track), Lyin' Eyes, Boys of Summer, In The City, Already Gone, Tequila Sunrise, Love Will Keep Us Alive, No More Cloudy Days (New Track), Hole In the World, Take It To the Limit

Disc 2:

You Belong to the City, Walk Away, Sunset Grill, Life's Been Good, Dirty Laundry, Funk #49, Heartache Tonight, Life in the Fast Lane, Hotel California, Rocky Mountain Way, All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Take It Easy, Desperado

Performance: 10/ 10

The band rocks! Don Felder of course, is not present for the concert. I'm not sure of all the reasons for his split with the group but guitarist Steuart Smith fills the spot capably, sharing lead guitar with the incredibly talented Joe Walsh. Rounding out the group are Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy Schmit. Sharing drums with Don Henley is Scott Crago and, love it or hate it, a four-person horn section (Al Garth, Bill Armstrong, Chris Mostert and Greg Smith). I think the horns did not detract from the performance and I enjoyed their accompaniment on all songs. Glenn Frey leads off with "The Long Run" and "New Kid in Town". Don Henley's sings lead on "Wasted Time" and I feel his voice is not quite up to par with Hell Freezes Over, but he still sings very well. Timothy Schmit sings lead on "New Kid In Town" and "Love Will Keep Us Alive", his voice still high and distinctive. The harmonizing by the band members was very well executed for all songs. And now, the best parts of the performance for me, Joe walsh! "Did you ever have something you liked to do and had to stop? My favorite thing was drinking alcohol. I only got drunk once, for twenty years and I had to stop". This was Joe's introduction to his new song, appropriately titled "One Day at a Time". Joe's voice is excellent throughout the concert and is obviously thoroughly enjoying himself as he interacts with the audience and band members. Joe Walsh sings quite a few of his songs, including ones from his James Gang days. He wore a helmet camera foe "Life's Been Good", on the second disc, wearing a strange outfit (pajamas?). Don Henley's and Glenn Frey's solo hits are well represented during the concert as well and elicited much audience participation. I don't think I could ask for more in a concert and hope everyone gets a chance to see it.

Audio Quality: 10/ 10

My listening preference is for the DTS mix, enveloping the room with excellent instrument and voice placement, natural sounding percussion and delivering that elusive "live" feeling, missing on so many other concert DVD performances. The horns are placed to the sides and rear to good effect and the vocals are always easy to locate in the front. Well done!

Video Quality: 9.5/ 10

Although I'm sure a few other concert DVD's can top this release for video quality (Hell Freezes Over has long been a notable reference), I have to give The Eagles Farewell 1 Tour: Live From Melbourne a near perfect score for rendering an extremely clear image in a large arena setting with superb lighting and well paced cuts and pans. Note that this review was done with the standard DVD release- I've seen the HD DVD release advertised and will have to add it to my collection, whereupon I'll write it's review and inevitable comparison to this fine release.

Extras/ Final Remarks:

A short but interesting band interview lasting 11 minutes is included. The two and one half to three hour long concert will immerse you in good feelings over and over again. Try the HD DVD if you have the desire and equipment for entertainment as good as it gets!